It all started with a football player and a friendship bracelet. 

Travis Kelce, a football player for the Kansas City Chiefs, showed up to Swift’s show last July to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number. Any Swiftie (as Swift’s fans call themselves) can tell you that the act of providing a friendship bracelet to another Swiftie is practically a sacred ritual, inspired by Swift’s song, “You’re On Your Own, Kid.” When Taylor was spotted at several Chiefs games in September, fans started speculating that the two were dating. Her first appearance at one of Kelce’s games sparked the most significant increase in ticket sales for the Chiefs ever.   

There has been pushback from football fans regarding the influx of attention surrounding Taylor Swift when she attends a game; anger and hatred have been spewed across social media towards Swift and her fans. The “dads, Brads, and Chads” may be upset, but Swift’s presence at the Chiefs games brings people together. Little girls were seen at the games and watching at home, hoping to see their heroes, while their dads watched their favorite players on the field. Swifties of all ages have turned watching Swift at football games into sport, livestreaming their responses on social media to Swift’s appearances at the games.   

At Interfaith America, the simplest definition of bridgebuilding can be boiled down to three steps: respect, relate, and cooperate. We may be watching the Super Bowl with different intentions or hopes tomorrow, but whether you are rooting for the Chiefs, the 49ers, or Taylor Swift, I believe the Super Bowl has the potential to be an excellent bridgebuilding exercise. If we can hold space for our differences, find intersections of commonality, and enjoy the game together, we can swiftly build bridges.